Matt Taven
| birth_place = Derry, New Hampshire | death_date = | death_place = | resides = | billed = Los Angeles, California | trainer = Bob Evans Spike Dudley | debut = March 7, 2008 | retired = }} Matthew Marinelli (March 20, 1985) is an American professional wrestler better known under the ring-name of Matt Taven. He currently works for Ring of Honor (ROH) where he is the leader of The Kingdom. Taven began his career competing across the Northeastern United States independent circuit. Taven has worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Dragon Gate USA, Chaotic Wrestling, New England Championship Wrestling, Top Rope Promotions, Northeast Wrestling, World Wrestling Alliance, Squared Circle Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Experience, Ohio Valley Wrestling, and Family Wrestling Entertainment. Professional Wrestling Career Ring of Honor (2010-Present) Matt competed in a few tag team matches over the course of 2010 and 2011, all losing efforts. Matt would receive a Ring of Honor (ROH) tryout at a TV taping in January 2012. He then began competing semi-regularly for the promotion. At ROH Boiling Point 2012 on August 11, 2012, Taven was unsuccessful in a four-way match, with the winner receiving a ROH contract. In the 2013 Top Prospects Tournament, Taven would go on to win. With assistance from heel manager Truth Martini, Taven beat Tadarius Thomas in the finals. With that win, Taven was awarded an ROH World Television Championship match against Adam Cole at ROH 11th Anniversary Show. Taven went on to defeat Adam Cole to win the ROH World Television Championship, establishing himself as a heel after Truth Martini hit Cole in the back of the head with the Book of Truth, allowing Taven to apply an Arm Trap Headlock Driver and pick up the win. On June 22, at ROH Best in the World 2013, Taven successfully defended the ROH World Television Championship against Jimmy Jacobs and Jay Lethal in a three-way match. Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2016-Present) After ROH began a working relationship with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Matt Taven traveled to CMLL to compete for three weeks in September 2016. Returned to CMLL for two weeks in late March 2017. He challenged Último Guerrero for the NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship on March 17. His first big rival was Rush whom he battled in a series of trios matches as well as two singles matches. They tied with a victory each. He next faced off with Ultimo Guerrero again beginning at the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship tournament where Taven's group The Kingdom defeated Guerrero's team. Guerrero then teamed up with El Terrible to beat Taven and Vinny Marseglia at The ROH Best In The World 2017 PPV. In their next one on one meeting, Taven beat Guerrero on June 24, 2017 in Lowell, Massachusetts USA. On March 16, 2018 at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas 2018 Taven teamed with Atlantis and Niebla Roja to defeat Último Guerrero, Gran Guerrero and Euforia. Taven went on to achieve his biggest victory to date in CMLL when he won the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship on March 30, 2018 by defeating Volador Jr. Matt held the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship until he lost it back to Volador Jr. on August 3, 2018 in Arena Mexico. After the match, Taven and Volador developed a mutual respect for each other, leading to them teaming up in various matches. This led to them feuding with Rush and Bárbaro Cavernario. The feud became so intense that the two teams signed contracts to face each other in a Lucha de Apuesta Best Two Out Of Three Falls Hair vs. Hair Tag team match at the CMLL 85th Anniversary Show. Rush and Cavernario won the match after Taven turned on Volador, costing them the match and their heads to be shaved. In wrestling *'Finishing moves' **Climax (Arm trap headlock driver) **Frog Splash *'Signature Moves' **''Kick of the King (Springboard Enzugiri) **Running knee strike to a seated opponent **Spin kick *'With Michael Bennett **'''Double-team finishing moves ***''Hail Mary'' (Aided piledriver) ***''Extreme Combination'' (Twist of Fate by Bennett followed by a Swanton Bomb by Taven) — parodied from the Hardys *'With ' TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia **'Triple-team Finishing moves' ***''Rock Star Supernova'' (Powerbomb by Taven and double jumping Russian legsweep by O'Ryan & Marseglia) ***''Resolution'' (Mustang Ride followed by a high-angle senton bomb followed by a frog splash) *'Managers' **Kasey Ray **Maria Kanellis **Truth Martini **The Hoopla Hotties (Scarlett Bordeaux, Valerie Malone and Seleziya Sparx) *'Tag Teams and Stables' **The Kingdom *'Nicknames' **"The Chaotic Idol" **'"King"' *'Entrance Themes' **"Pretty Handsome Awkward" by The Used (Independent Circuit) **"So Unkind" by Voodoo Vegas (1st ROH Theme) **"The Hoopla" by The Jack of all Tracks (2013–2015) **"Damage" by Medeline **'"Cathedral" '''by WCPM *'Wrestlers trained''' :*Daniel Evans Championships and Accomplishments *'Chaotic Wrestling' **CW New England Championship (2 times) **CW Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Vinny Marseglia *'Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre' **NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship‎ (1 time) *'Impact Championship Wrestling' **ICW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rhett Titus *'New Japan Pro Wrestling' **IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Mike Bennett *'Northeast Wrestling' **NEW Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *'National Wrestling Alliance' **On Fire Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Julian Starr *'Pro Wrestling Experience' **Robbie Ellis Tournament of Super Juniors (1 time) *'Pro Wrestling Illustrated' **PWI ranked him number 93 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2013 *'Ring Of Honor' **ROH World Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Mike Bennett **ROH World Television Championship (1 time) **ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times) with TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia **Top Prospect Tournament (2013) **ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament (2016) – with TK O'Ryan and Vinny Marseglia **ROH World Championship (1 time) *'Top Rope Promotions' **TRP Heavyweight Championship (2 times) External links * Profile Category:American wrestlers Category:ROH World Television Champions Category:New Hampshire wrestlers Category:2008 debuts Category:1985 births Category:Beyond Wrestling current roster Category:Chaotic Wrestling alumni Category:Connecticut Wrestling Entertainment alumni Category:Crossfire Wrestling alumni Category:Dragon Gate USA alumni Category:Family Wrestling Entertainment alumni Category:Fight The World Wrestling alumni Category:Impact Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Liberty States Wrestling current roster Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni Category:New England Championship Wrestling alumni Category:Northeast Wrestling current roster Category:Ohio Valley Wrestling alumni Category:Power League Wrestling alumni Category:Ring of Honor current roster Category:Squared Circle Wrestling alumni Category:Top Rope Promotions alumni Category:World Wrestling Alliance alumni Category:Wrestling Is Respect alumni Category:Wrestling On Fire alumni Category:House Of Hardcore alumni Category:Independent Wrestling Entertainment alumni Category:International Wrestling Cartel alumni Category:Maryland Championship Wrestling alumni Category:NWA Pro East alumni Category:Preston City Wrestling alumni Category:Revolution Pro Wrestling alumni Category:Xtreme Wrestling Alliance alumni Category:Living people Category:Male wrestlers Category:ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Category:ROH World Tag Team Champions Category:IWGP Tag Team Champions Category:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre alumni Category:Massachusetts wrestlers Category:ROH World Champions Category:ROH Triple Crown champions Category:ROH Grand Slam champions